Ducks and Lemurs: The Anniversary
by raelee514
Summary: It's been a year since Keith met Lance what happens when Keith is blindsided by the news. Keith/Lance
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **_Sequel to Ducks and s/7422332/1/Ducks-Lemurs _

_Happy Halloween, though sorry this isn't very spooky. It's mushy though, that does frighten some people._

Part One

A dull ache that threatened to turn into a migraine buzzed in Keith's head. He winced at the sound of car doors closing around him as he walked through the parking lot toward the apartment building he lived in with Sven Holgersson. The blunt throb had his neck aching as well, he shifted his shoulders trying to find relief, and winced again at the sound of cracking - too loud to his ears, a migraine looming.

He took the turn to the main entrance and orange lights flashed at him out of nowhere. Making the pain stab for a brief moment, it was from the glare. He hurried into the building, griping under his breath about flashing lights, wondering what the hell they were for... Adding orange lights to the list of crap on his bad bad day. He'd had a long, exhausting, bad day.

It'd been all his own fault.

Lance's alarm clock hadn't gone off, and Keith had woken up pinned under Lance, skin to skin, fifteen minutes too late to make it to his first class. He'd tried to slip out from under him, to slip away only to hear in his ear, in a sleep roughened voice... "I should turn you over and fuck you again."

He'd said no, why was something scholars of sex and relationships could probably question for centuries... Keith sighed as he hit the button for the elevator and stepped in rubbing his neck where it met his shoulder trying to relieve the irritating pressure. Yes, if he had said yes, he wouldn't have missed his second class, his entire day wouldn't have been thrown into even more of a disarray, but damn...

It would have been worth it. Being with Lance was always worth it. Had been since that first crazy night when they met, stripped naked and made out when they didn't even know each other's names. Keith had never been so spontaneous and wanton in his life before... He continued to only manage wanton and spontaneous when caught in Lance's personal space.

He may have said no in the morning, but he could still feel the night before. Keith blushed as he stepped out of the elevator, and walked down the hallway red at the memory. He loved feeling how hard Lance rode him the following day, whenever he moved, whenever he sat. And he had. He'd felt last night all day every time he sat down on the hard unforgiving plastic chair for one of his lectures. But if Keith had said yes to that one more time he'd felt it ten times harder.

Unlocking the front door, memories flashed of Lance and his tongue, Lance and his mouth, Lance and his fingers digging into his hips hard enough to bruise... Bruises that Keith loved, bruises he begged for.._.Ordered, baby, ordered_, whispered Lance's voice with a laugh in his head. Keith felt his his blush deepen,the truth was the truth.

Why had he said no? Because now he wasn't going to see Lance until Tuesday. Due to their busy lives of classes, part time jobs, and the fact the last year in the Academy meant you were now on duty as a member of the Garrison. Lance had his duties to attend, Keith his, and he'd said no, because maybe they could both skip a class in History in Naval Space But they couldn't skip their Garrison responsibilities.

Damn him, and his responsibility.

_I'm an idiot, _Keith thought finally getting the door unlocked and stepping into the apartment he shared with Sven. He groaned, the sound of the television and voices making the dull ache stab in his head again. But then Keith had to laugh. Lance's roommates were here, of course. The five of them since Lance and he hooked up had become this...this?

He wasn't sure what to call them, because he wasn't sure what to call him and Lance. They were the center of it weren't they? They used the term boyfriend but Keith knew neither one of them really thought of themselves as 'boyfriends' per se... It was...they were... They were?

Keith pushed open the door to his bedroom and dropped his bag and books on his bed, then started to meticulously put everything into its proper place. Thinking about the day he met Lance, unable to keep his eyes off him once his gaze had landed on him. He'd been hot, but it'd been more than that. Lance had stood out in the crowd, and it hadn't been because he'd been the only one without a costume.. It'd been Lance being Lance... Keith had almost fallen over his feet when Lance had caught him looking. He'd never been good with the whole meet and greet, pick up a guy thing.

But hell, he'd gone over and beyond it that night, after Lance made he first move. He laughed again. Lance's first move had been to strip naked, except for his shoes and his socks. Ducks, he'd had ducks on his socks. Lance loved ducks, it was their little secret - though given Keith had given him a huge stuffed Duck for his birthday Keith did wonder how much of a secret it was... Also Hunk did the laundry in their place too. He must think that all the boxers and socks with ducks on them weren't mere coincidence? Right? Though Hunk probably didn't think about these things... Keith sighed. He was exhausted, tired, grumpy, mad at himself for turning down sex...stupidest moment of his life.

Books and homework in the proper places, he went to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, pulled out the brand X headache relief. It wasn't a migraine yet, he wanted to keep it that way... Lance would be better at it than the damn pills but sigh, he wouldn't see him until Tuesday.

He walked into the kitchen, not for water, he'd just swallowed the pills dry. He was hungry, for something, anything... Damn he didn't know what he wanted besides his boyfriend naked in his bedroom. He stood in front of the open refrigerator and glared at the contents.

"Loki, or Thor...maybe Odin. Want to do something of my heritage this year," Sven's voice carried into the kitchen, talking over a commercial.

"I'm gonna be a bowling ball this year...got it all worked out."

"A bowling ball?" Sven snorted, and Keith heard Pidge's laugh.

"Pidgey you could be a pin?" Hunk said sounding giddy.

Halloween? Really? Already? That explained the damn orange flashing lights downstairs. He hoped Sven didn't try to talk him into dressing up again he'd have to punch - His train of thought stopped short, synapses in his brain sparked processing something on a sudden delay.

Halloween? It was almost Halloween? He and Lance met on Halloween, at that damn costume party Sven tricked him into dressing up for, and Lance had showed up as Lance, showing Keith he should have just dug in his heals harder. Lance had showed Keith a lot that night. They'd... the gazebo, their socks... the awkward conversation and the amazing chemistry. Then the next day, both of them tracking the other down, phone numbers, and a motorcycle ride and every day since...

Keith swallowed. No, no. No way they'd been together for almost a year. It could not have been that long, could it? Yet... Lance had given him a stuffed Lemur for Christmas...He'd given the Duck, they'd gone off together on weekends, they'd spent the whole summer at the beach... Keith swallowed again. But but they still acted like they'd just met, always having sex, always having to be near each other. Unless of course they couldn't because of duties or class. Or he was an idiot who said no to morning sex.

Keith frowned, shut the refrigerator door closed with a loud crash and walked into the living room where everyone else was and stood in front of whatever sporting event it was they were watching, thinking that he might be hyperventilating - or starting too. "Lance and I have been together almost a year and NO ONE TOLD ME!"

He didn't even sound like himself, but he was panicking he realized, how the hell had he ended up in a committed relationship without noticing. He was Keith Kogane, things like duty, responsibilities. _Commitment_. Those were hthings he was great at. Loyal, smart, organized. Noble even.

_Can't breathe, _he thought.

Sven's hand was on his back. He heard Hunk telling him to calm down. He saw Pidge watching him with wide eyes and a head tilt, like he was taking it all in for future reference. Sven and Hunk exchanged glances and Sven nodded.

"Yes, yes we know that."

"Does he know?" Keith heard himself asking, and as he said it he felt the importance of the question.

"Oh he knows." Hunk laughed.

Something about his tone made Keith glare at Hunk. Was that good or bad, Lance knowing. What the hell? He couldn't deal with this right now. He walked back out of the living room and into his bedroom.

What did he do? Did he do something? He had to do something... They'd been together for a year, a great year. That couldn't go by with him doing anything at all... Would Lance do something? What if he did something and Lance didn't? But what if he didn't do something and Lance did? What if this was more important to him than it was to Lance?

There was a knock on his door. He got up and opened it. Hunk stood there with a plate, with a grilled cheese sandwich on it. Keith took it, the cheese and bread smell filling his nose, his stomach growled, and he realized that it was just what he needed. Food wise anyway.

"Look, for what it is worth. He figured it out when he heard me talking about Halloween too. Then he freaked out way worse than you just did..." Hunk shrugged. "I figure whatever happens you two will be okay. Your both too cute about the other not to be."

Keith nodded unsure what to say about that, or if he liked being called cute. "Thanks Hunk," he said for the information and the grilled cheese.

Hunk nodded and left.

Keith ate his grilled cheese and tried to figure out what the hell to do, because the next time he saw Lance it'd be their anniversary.


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

_Tuesday came._

Lance and Keith fell into their normal habits.

Keith on Lance to stay responsible, do his duty, do his homework; go to his classes on time. Keith had felt thrown all off kilter from missing that class on Friday...thrown off kilter for the whole week. Out of his comfort zone, feeling as if his skin didn't fit right against his bones. His only comfort in Lance's touch, his hold, his tongue. Lance with his dirty mouth, and his incorrigible wandering hands... Lance was his sanctum.

This was their status quo, this had been how it always was - he and Lance - Keith keeping Lance accountable, Lance keeping Keith on his toes, having fun. But this Tuesday wasn't the same... Keith was thinking the whole time that Wednesday the day after was their anniversary.

It was on the tip of his tongue the entire day: _Tomorrow's our anniversary. Tell me you know, tell me you're doing something for me - I should do something for you right? Do we do this? Are we the type who celebrates? Are we really in a relationship, are we defining us?_

He wanted to ask but he couldn't, he shouldn't, he wouldn't... Keith instead went out and bought Lance a present. It wasn't the type of gift Keith would usually give but then he'd never given Lance things that he would usually gift others. A stuffed duck at been handed over at Lance's birthday when he'd found out about it at the last minute, in late July, when he hadn't a clue what to get him. The duck was always on Lance's bed.

This gift was along the same lines, it went back their first night together. To that first that moment they connected. To when they stripped bare except for their socks, Keith letting allowing himself to be vulnerable with someone - but not just anyone. It'd been Lance. Keith shivered, thinking about it, shivered thinking about Lance's first touches, about Lance's voice in the darkness that night.

He'd wanted Lance from the moment he saw him at the party, standing there, costumeless, cocky and gorgeous. Not bothered at all he was standing out because he wasn't masked. Lance was cocky, maybe too much so some times...but Keith loved it all the same...

Love.

They hadn't said it yet...but a year...a year had slid by, the two of them sliding skin to skin, but deeper than that too. Lance was his closet confidant. Lance was everything. Love... It was true, for Keith.

He watched Lance as he typed into the datapad on his lap. A report for one of his classes, that was due tomorrow - Academy didn't care if it was Halloween or not. Didn't care that was the first date of an anniversary for him and Lance, that could mean everything for them. That would answer unspoken questions. Like did Lance love him too?

Fear rose up from Keith's belly, he swallowed hard fighting to remain calm, not be anxious and have it make him physically sick. His hands shook as he touched the small box with Lance's gift inside a large lump rose in his throat, he managed to breathe through it. Then jumped as the cuckoo clock, Sven's uncle had sent them from a trip to Sweden, went off telling them it was officially the thirty-first.

It was Halloween.

Lance groaned. "Son of a bitch, I'm not gonna finish this before class..." He grabbed at some notes that he had scattered around him on the couch, on the table, on the floor.

Keith smiled at him, Lance being Lance calming the rush inside him. He wouldn't worry now, not yet...he pushed the thoughts to the side. He moved to where Lance was, surrounded by the notes, and wrapped himself around him and started reading what Lance had written. He'd finished his own report on the same subject days ago.

"Couldn't I just read yours and paraphrase?" Lance muttered but Keith knew he didn't really mean it.

"You've got good start..." Keith said but he was distracted by Lance's scent: leather, and smoky firewood. He kissed Lance's throat, causing Lance to chuckle and Keith felt the vibrations against his lips.

"Keith...damn it...you keep doing that I won't finish this all..." Lance whined. "Damn it, you're making me sound like the responsible one."

Blushing, Keith pulled back, knowing Lance was right, laughing at the role reversal. "Got distracted..." he took a deep breath, and focused on helping Lance. Focused on not thinking about how panicked and afraid he was about what tomorrow may bring.

_All Hallows Eve_

The Kessel, Lance's fire red motorcycle fell silent. Keith breathed out, in both relief and regret. Lance had blindfolded him for the ride, saying he had a surprise Halloween treat for him. Keith hated being out of control. He'd almost said no to Lance about the blindfold, but one look into Lance's dark hazel brown eyes and he'd heard himself say yes. He trusted Lance, with his life, he could go for a blind ride on a motorbike with him. Unable to see as they rode the ups and downs of San Franciscan streets had been terrifying. But having his hands gripped on Lance's hips, knowing Lance was the one in control had made it terrific in a crazy way.

He felt Lance's breath on his face, they stood face to face, but Keith didn't know where they were or why they were where they were. "Lance?" he muttered. "Time to take off the blindfold..."

Lance laughed. "Was that an order or a question?"

Keith shrugged because it was both really when he thought about it. He felt and sensed movement from Lance, who was so close he could feel the heat off of his skin. The blindfold fell and he found himself face to face with a cocky grin. He met it with his own.

Lance's grin widened, his hand came up, palm against his cheek, long fingers against his ear, into his hair. Lance leaned in and kissed him, long, seducing, dirty. Keith felt his skin reddening, his temperature rising, he wondered if they were in a public place... yet he kissed back, matching the passion. His hands on Lance's ass.

They pulled back only when it was necessary for air.

Lance laughed, a gleeful cackle that Keith was sure would make a witch jealous, shaking his head. "Uh, yeah, maybe we should have stayed home..." he shook his head, his pale skin flushed a deep pink.

Keith shook his own head. "Leaving the apartment was your idea. We had it all to ourselves tonight," he felt the need to point out.

Lance glared at him. "Touché."

Keith shrugged again, but knew he had an I-told-you-so smile on his face, because Lance was giving him that look that said he was looking too smug. Lance shook his head, then grabbed his hand. "Come on," he pulled Keith with him toward a door.

Keith looked around to see where they were for the first time. A dark parking lot, he was being pulled toward a nondescript brown door. There was no sound, there were no Halloween decorations. Where the hell had Lance brought him... "Lance, if this is some weird kinky gay club..."

Lance burst out laughing, but didn't say anything as he pulled out a key from his back pocket. "This better work..." he mumbled under his breath and opened the door. "Yes," he grinned and he pulled Keith inside.

"Lance?"

Lance didn't answer, just kept pulling Keith down a dark hallway, and the down another and another until they reached some large room, where Keith thought he heard animals of some kind. Lance then hit a light, and Keith blinked a few times realized they were in habitat cage the San Franciscan Zoo kept their Lemurs...

Beautiful sleepy Lemurs blinked up at them and Keith stared at them and then at Lance.

Lance had his left hand behind his neck, and was looked down at his feet, then he slowly looked up until they achieved eye contact. "So, thing is... Lemurs can't be pets... and I know you love these little guys. We come here all the time, just you know opposite side of the glass there..." his hand pointed to glass. "So, uh, I did some networking and found out who to call to get in here after hours..."

"Lance..."

"It's just, I didn't know what the HELL to get you! You aren't easy to buy for you know, you'd ask for something boring and you can't get your... your... Man...something boring for your anniversary. And it's our first, you know...and Jesus, did that sneak up on you too? Cause it did on me... and well... Lemurs... I love you."

_I love you. _

Keith's world spun and went perfect in that one moment, he grinned, and pulled the tiny box out of his pants pocket, he closed the space between him and Lance. All two steps of it. Held up the box and kissed Lance's pulse point on his neck.

"I love you, too..." He moved the box in his hand a bit. "This isn't... well this isn't figuring out how to break into the zoo to see Lemurs..." he laughed nervously.

Lance chuckled but he took the box.

"It snuck up on me too...but it's good right, cause it doesn't feel like a year, yet I can't imagine a life without you. Felt like you've always been a piece of me...Lance. You and I belong..." he trailed off as Lance pulled the delicate gold chain out of the box.

Keith watched the chain come out of the box, all the way until the duck charm that weighed on it made it swing like pendulum. Back and forth, back and forth...nodding yes, yes, yes.

"Damn, Keith... Gold?"

"You're worth it," Keith muttered, taking it and putting it on Lance's neck.

"I...so uh..."

"A year."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"I love you too"

They grinned at each other and started to kiss again... Until they had to breath. Lance laughed again. "So, uh, you aren't not gonna agree to doing it in front of the Lemurs are you?"


End file.
